Factory made tray for taking impressions on a toothless upper jaw

ABSTRACT

A FACTORY MADE TRAY FOR TAKING IMPRESSIONS ON A TOOTHLESS UPPER JAW, WHEREIN THE DISTAL RIM OF BOTH VESTIBULAR FLANGES OF THE TRAY ENTIRELY EXTNEDS IN SITU BEYOND THE ACTION LIMIT IN THE ACTION AREA OF THE MUCOUS MEMBERANE. ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION THE DISTAL RIM OF BOTH VESTIBULAR FLANGES COMPRISES AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED KINK POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY OUTWARD OF THE RELATIVE HAMULAR NOTCH, IN SUCH MANNER THAT THE BASE OF THE MORE OR LESS VERTICALLY EXTENDING GROOVE BETWEEN THE OS MAXILLARE AND THE EXTERNAL PTERYGOID PLATE IS REPRODUCED IN THE IMPRESSION ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IN AN OPTIMUM MANNER. D R A W I N G

Nov. 16, 1971 J. SCHREINEMAKERS 3,619,903 FACTORY MADE TRAY FOR TAKING IMPRESSIONS ON A TOQTHLESS UPPER JAW Filed Dec. 50, 1969 United States Patent 6' 3,619,903 FACTORY MADE TRAY FOR TAKING IMPRES- SIGNS ON A TOOTHLESS UPPER JAW Josephus Schreinemakers, Wilhelminastraat 43, Sittard, Netherlands Filed Dec. 30, 1969, Ser. No. 889,137 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Dec. 31, 1968,

Int. Cl. A61c 9/00 US. Cl. 32-17 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A factory made tray for taking impressions on a toothless upper jaw, wherein the distal rim of both vestibular flanges of the tray entirely extends in situ beyond the action limit in the action area of the mucous membrane.

According to the invention the distal rim of both vestibular flanges comprises an upwardly directed kink positioned immediately outward of the relative hamular notch, in such manner that the base of the more or less vertically extending groove between the os maxillare and the external pterygoid plate is reproduced in the impression on the left hand side and on the right hand side in an optimum manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a factory made tray for taking impressions on a toothless upper jaw for the purpose of producing a denture, wherein the distal rim of both vestibular flanges of the tray entirely extends in situ beyond the action limit in the action area of the mucous membrane.

In order to obtain a suflicient adherence between the denture and the upper jaw a tension will have to be created between the rim of the denture and the mucosa. For this purpose it is necessary that the rim of the denture passes the action limit. By the term action limit a limit or line is understood between the non-movable part of the mucous membrane on the one hand and the action area of the mucous membrane on the other hand, which latter part of the mucous membrane is not fixedly connected with the upper jaw and may participate in a harmonic manner in the movements due to the functioning of the muscles. This action limit extends in the upper jaw from labial to buccal below the muco-buccal fold and then through the hamular notch situated between the maxillary tuberosity and the hamulus pterygoideus. Thereafter the action limit follows the junction between the hard and the soft palate and extends in a similar way on the other side.

The tension between the rim of the denture and the mucosa cannot be obtained to a suflicient degree when this rim only engages the non-movable part of the mucous membrane.

Therefore, in the known factory made trays for taking impressions on a toothless upper jaw the distal rim of both vestibular flanges entirely extends in situ beyond the action limit in the action area of the mucous membrane; this distal rim of both vestibular flanges has a uniform convex shape.

However, it was found that during the application of the known trays the base of the more or less vertically ICE.

extending groove positioned on the left hand side and on the right hand side between the external pterygoid plate and the os maxillare is not or insufficiently reproduced in the impression. Therefore, the danger exists in these areas that the tension between the movable mucosa and the rim of the denture obtained during the functioning of the muscles is too low so that the adherence of the denture is considerably reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a factory made tray for taking impressions on a toothless upper jaw wherein this drawback is removed in an effective manner.

For this purpose, according to the invention, the distal rim of both vestibular flanges comprises an upwardly directed kink positioned immediately outward of the relative hamular notch, in such manner that the base of the more or less vertically extending groove between the os maxillare and the external pterygoid plate is reproduced in the impression on the left hand side and on the right hand side in an optimum manner.

Preferably the vertical projection of the apex of each kink on the plane substantially containing the line indicating the lowest part of the maxillary ridge is spaced at a distance of 3-4 mm. from this line.

In a satisfactory embodiment of the tray according to the invention, the vertical projection of the inner contour of the vestibular rim on the plane substantially containing the line indicating the lowest part of the maxillary ridge extends in the tray part in front of the recesses for the lateral bands at a distance of 67 mm. from this line, while this distance increases from said recesses for the lateral bands in the rearward direction of the tray to 9-11 mm., whereafter the vestibular rim joins the distal rim via a curve.

It has been found that the supporting qualities of the tray are at their optimum in this embodiment so that the effect of the kink in the distal rim of both vestibular flanges is still increased.

Further, in the tray according to the invention the palate part may be bent in the median plane in such manner that the highest point is positioned at approximately the same distance from the posterior and the labial rims of the tray.

Due to the inclined course of the rear area of the palate part the impression material, in particular in the distal rim area of the tray, is divided in a very uniform manner during the taking of an impression so that the favourable effect obtained by the kink in the distal rim of both vestibular flanges appears to full advantage in the impression.

It is further considered to be of importance that the transverse line through the highest point of the palate part intersects the part of the vestibular rim of the tray covering the processus zygomaticus on either side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF Til-IE DRAWINGS The invention will be further elucidated with reference to the drawings which show a constructional example of the invention, several details which may be used with advantage being especially shown.

FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a tray according to the invention for taking impressions on a toothless upper aw.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the tray according to FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the tray according to FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawings show a factory made tray for taking impressions on a toothless upper jaw for the purpose of producing a denture.

The distal rim 1 of this tray entirely extends in situ beyond the action limit in the action area of the mucous membrane. The distal rim 1' of both vestibular flanges 2 comprises an upwardly directed kink 3 positioned immediately outward of the relative hamular notch.

It is the object of these kinks 3 to provide the tray with extremely good supporting qualities in the rear part of the vestibulum in the upper jaw so that the base of the more or less vertically extending groove between the os maxillare and the external pterygoid plate may be reproduced in the impression on the left hand side and on the right hand side in an optimum manner.

The palate part 4 comprises a distal rim 1" which is positioned in such manner that the same may exactly cover the hamular notches on either side. This distal rim 1" extends between both hamular notches along a straight line or along a slightly bent line of which the middle portion lies at most 2 mm. before the straight connecting line.

The vertical projection of the inner contour of the vestibular rim 5 on the plane 6 substantially containing the imaginary line 7 indicating the lowest part of the maxillary ridge 8 extends in the tray part in front of the recesses 9 for the lateral bands (frenums) at a distance of 6-7 mm. from this line 7.

This distance increases from the recesses 9 for the lateral bands in the rearward direction of the tray to 9-11 mm., whereafter the vestibular rim 5 joins the distal rim 1 via a curve 10.

The Vertical projection of the apex of each kink 3 on the plane 6 substantially containing the line 7 indicating the lowest part of the maxillary ridge 8 lies at a distance of 3-4 mm. from this line 7.

The palate part 4 of the tray is bent in the median plane in such manner that the highest point 11 is approximately spaced at equal distances from the distal or posterior rim 1 and the labial rim 12 of the tray.

The transverse line through the highest point 11 of the palate part 4 intersects the part of the vestibular rim 5 of the tray covering the processus zygomaticus on either side.

The center of the recesses 9 for the lateral bands is always positioned in a plane which perpendicularly intersects the median plane of the tray at approximately /3 of the distance between the labial rim 12 and the distal rim 1 of the tray.

As already mentioned above, the line 7 indicating the lowest part of the maxiallary ridge 8 substantially extends in the plane 6. In order to prevent the tray upon insertion in the mouth of a patient from being arrested too early which would jeopardize the usefulness of the kinks 3, the maxiallary ridge 8 comprises a supplementary concavity 13 for the maxillary tuberosities on either side near the distal rim 1 of the tray. These supplementary concavities 13 have an oval contour, the length of which extends approximately along the line 7 and amounts to 15 mm. in dependency on the size of the tray, while the width of the supplementary concavities l3 varies between 7 and 10 mm.

The rim 1, 5 of the tray has a thickness of 22 /2 mm. along its whole length in order to obtain the correct tension between the tissue and the rim 1, 5 of the tray when an impression is taken.

In order to be able to select the correct tray for an upper jaw after a simple measurement with a compass in the mouth of the patient, a measuring edge 14 is formed at the inner side of each of the vestibular flanges 2. This measuring edge extends from the transverse plane through the recesses 9 for the lateral bands in a rearward direction to the distal rim 1' of the relative vestibular flange 2. Each measuring edge is positioned 2-2 /2 mm. above the lowest points 15 of the distal rim 1 of the tray in the vicinity of the hamular notches and is approximately in parallel with the plane 6 substantially containing the line 7 indicating the lowest portion of the maxillary ridge 8.

After the distance between the vestibular surfaces at the height of the broadest part of the upper jaw has been measured in the mouth of the patient by means of the compass, a tray is selected, again by means of this compass, in such manner that the distance between the legs of the compass when they are lying in contact with the measuring edges 14 in the corresponding region of the tray is equal to that distance while measuring in the mouth.

It has been found that it suflicies to provide a set of seven trays wherein the distance between the ends of the measuring edges 14 at the distal rim 1' of the vestibular flanges 2 increases from 3 /2 to 5 /2 cm.

The trays according to the invention may be manufactured in an advantageous manner from metal. Each tray is provided with a grip 16 also made of metal and with a thickened rim 1, 5.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown in the drawings which may be varied in several ways within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A factory made tray for taking impressions on a toothless upper jaw, said tray comprising a palate portion and a pair of vestibular flanges, said vestibular flanges each having a distal rim extending entirely in situ beyond the action limit in the action area of the mucous membrane, each said distal rim comprising an upwardly directed kink positioned immediately outwardly of the relative hamular notch whereby the base of the generally vertically extending groove between the os maxillare and the external pterygoid plate is optimally reproduced in the left and right hand side impressions; said tray further having a distal rim along the palate portion, said lastmentioned distal rim extending in a generally straight line between the distal rims of said vestibular flanges, and said tray palate portion being bent in the median plane whereby its highest point is positioned approximately equi-distant from the posterior and labial rims of the tray.

2. A tray according to claim 1, wherein the vertical projection of the apex of each kink on the plane substantially containing the line indicating the lowest part of the maxillary ridge is spaced at a distance of 34 mm. from this line.

3. A tray according to claim 2, wherein the vertical projection of the inner contour of the vestibular rim on the plane substantially containing the line indicating the lowest part of the maxillary ridge extends in the tray part in front of the recesses for the lateral bands at a distance of 67 mm. from this line, while this distance increases from said recesses for the lateral bands in the rearward direction of the tray to 9-11 mm., whereafter the vestibular rim joins the distal rim via a curve.

4. A tray according to claim 1, wherein the transverse line through the highest point of the palate part intersects the part of the vestibular rim of the tray covering the processus zygomaticus on either side.

5. A tray according to claim 1, wherein the maxillary ridge comprises a supplementary concavity for the maxillary tuberosities on either side near the distal rim of the tray.

6. A tray according to claim 5, wherein each supplementary concavity has an oval contour, the length of which extends approximately along the line indicating the lowest portion of the maxillary ridge and amounts to 10-15 mm., while the width of each supplementary concavity amounts to 7-10 mm.

7. A tray according to claim 1, wherein the rim of the tray has a thickness of 2-2/2 mm.

8. A tray according to claim 1, wherein a measuring edge is formed at the inner side of each of the vestibular flanges, which measuring edge extends from the transverse plane through the recesses for the lateral bands in a rearward direction to the distal end of the relative vestibular flange, while each measuring edge is positioned 2-2 /z mm. above the lowest points of the distal rim of the tray in the immediate vicinity of the hamular notches and is approximately in parallel with the plane substantially containing the line indicating the lowest portion of the maxillary ridge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Meurer 32*-l7 Stark 32-17 Stern 3217 Hana 32-17 ROBERT PESHOCK, Primary Examiner 

